I Can't Make It Without You
by XxLaleyfan88xX
Summary: Brooke and Haley are best friends. They always have been. But when something terrible happens to Haley, Brooke must be there to catch her when she falls.
1. Chapter 1

**Rated R for dark issues. **

Disclaimer: Sadly I own nothing. It all belongs to the WB. The plot is mine though, and I was Chad was too.

Brooke's POV:

Oh My God! I just heard the news. Haley's older sister, Taylor, was killed in a car accident. Haley and Taylor had a love/hate relationship, but Haley must be devastated. I loved Taylor too. Ever since Haley and I became friends in 2nd grade, Taylor always seemed to be around. I had to see Haley.

I drove to Haley's as fast as I could without landing myself in jail. I went to knock on the door and I saw it was open. No one seemed to be home. I slowly turned around to leave, when I heard whimpering upstairs. HALEY! I ran upstairs, but slowed down as I approached her bedroom. I went into her room, but I didn't see her. I followed the cries to the side of her bed. There she was, sitting on the floor, leaning against her bed sobbing. I expected her to be upset, but nothing prepared me for the sight in front of me, my best friends crying on the floor. I sat down next to her and she immediately fell into my awaiting arms. I hugger her tight and held her close while she cried into my shirt. No words were exchanged, but they didn't need to be. Judging by how tight she was holding on, she was in more pain than anyone deserves to be in. We sat there and held each other while we both cried for hours.

Normal POV:

Brooke and Haley sat and cried in each other's arms for hours. Neither one of them wanted to let go. Finally, Haley pulled out of Brooke's embrace and stood up. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Brooke sat there, wanting nothing more than to go after her and once again try to take her pain away, but she new she needed to be alone.

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Haley was rummaging through the drawer. She finally found what she was looking. She slid down against the walk and as soon as it touched her skin she felt a sense of relief. She dragged the blade across her skin until she saw the blood. Tears streamed down her face. Not from the physical pain, but the emotional pain. She started sobbing as she thought about never seeing her sister again. How could this happen? Brooke heard her and instantly ran toward the door and knocked. Haley jumped and threw the blade in the drawer. She made sure to pull her sleeved down.

"One minute."

"Haley open up. I heard you crying."

Haley finally opened the door.

"I'm fine Brooke."

"You don't look fine, Hales."

With that, Haley broke down.

"Come here." Brooke took Haley in her arms and sat them down on the bed.

"Why… Brooke… why?" Haley sobbed.

"Shh. I don't know baby. I just don't know."

Eventually, Haley fell asleep in Brooke's arms. Brooke picked her up and put her in bed. She figured this is the only time Haley will sleep for days. As she pulled the covers up, one of Haley's sleeves fell sown, and Brooke couldn't believe what she saw, tons of scars. How long had Haley been doing this to herself? She thought to herself. _How _could she do this to herself? Maybe today was the first time…but what if it wasn't? Brooke, especially now, didn't want to leave Haley alone, so she laid down next to her and cried herself to sleep. A few hours later, at around 3 or 4 in the morning, Haley woke up. She remembered the previous days events, and couldn't help but cry. She went into the bathroom and searched for her all to familiar blade. As soon as she was done, she hid it, and went downstairs. No more than a half hour later, Brooke was also up. She heard noise downstairs. She went down and found Haley sitting on the coach watching tv.

"Hey Hales."

Haley jumped.

"Oh, hey Brooke, you scared me."

"Sorry. Why are you up?"

"Couldn't sleep, you?"

"Same."

"Listen Brooke, I'm really sorry about being such a baby in front of you yesterday, but I'm fine. You can go."

"Hales, no. You had every right to be upset. And I'm not going anywhere."

"No really…"

Brooke cut her off.

"Haley, how long have you been cutting yourself?"

Haley looked shocked.

"W-What?"

"You heard me Hales, how long?"

"Brooke- I…"

"Just tell me."

"How did u…?"

"I saw your arms last night."

"Brooke, I just…"

"Haley, I understand if…"

This time Brooke was cut off.

"NO BROOKE, YOU DON'T ING UNDERSTAND. YOU MIGHT THINK YOU DO, BUT YOU DON'T. SO DON'T FEED ME THAT CRAP." Haley screamed.

"Haley- calm down."

"NO, WHY SHOULD I?"

"So we can talk." Brooke said as her tears threatened to spill over.

"FINE BROOKE, YOU WANNA TALK? LET'S TALK. IT ALL STARTED WHEN TAYLOR AND I GOT INTO THIS HUGE FIGHT. I WAS UPSET- SO I CUT. THEN SHE WAS ING KILLED. SO I CUT. TEHN I REALIZED I'M ALL ALONE- SO I CUT!

"Haley- you're not alone. I'm your best friend and I love you. That's why I'm trying to help."

"YOU CAN HELP BY BRINGING TAYLOR BACK…THAT'S ALL I WANT…that's all I want..that's all…Haley collapsed onto the floor in a fit of tears. Brooke instinctively wrapped her arms around Haley.

"Shh…hales…I hate seeing you cry. I'll help you and we'll make it. It won't be easy, but we'll make it." Haley nodded as Brooke stroked her hair.

"Tigger, the last thing I told Taylor was that I hated her."

"Baby, she knows you didn't mean it."

Haley stood up.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" Haley screamed as she ran out the door to the only place she could think of…Lucas.

She knocked on his door. It was still early, but she didn't care. She needed him. He opened the door to a crying Haley.

"Oh Hales, I just found out, are okay?"

She shook her head no.

"Come here buddy."

He took Haley and led her inside. For the next hour, Lucas held Haley as she cried her eyes out, not knowing that Brooke was sitting at Haley's house doing the same thing.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Next Morning:**

Haley had finally left Lucas' house. She felt terrible for running out on Brooke like she had…and even worse for ignoring Brooke's calls…all ten of them. She slowly walked down the sidewalk and walked into her house…immediately seeing Brooke sleeping. She figured Brooke would have gone home by now, but to her surprise, she never left her spot on the couch. Haley went and sat next to her. She picked Brooke's head up, sat down, and laid her head on her lap. She slowly stroked Brooke's hair, until she began to wake up.

"Hey Brooke."

"Haley! I was so worried about you. You just ran out and you didn't answer my calls…"

"Shh…Brooke…I'm fine. How are you?"

"Fine." Brooke responded with her head still in Haley's lap.

"You lie."

Brooke slowly began to sit up. Her head was pounding from all the crying she had done the previous night, but she didn't care.

"Haley…I want you to be able to talk to me. I hate that you do that to yourself. I'm here for you, all the time. You know that."

"I do, Brooke. And I love you for that. It's just so hard……"

"Haley- I'll help you. I love you."

"I love you too Brooke." Then she mumbled under her breath…."if you only knew how much."

"What'd you say?"

"What? Oh- nothing."

"Haley James….talk to me. Don't make me tickle you!" Brooke was trying everything she could think of to keep Haley's mind off of the previous days events.

"Fine. It's just a realization I've come to…that's all."

"Well, do share."

"There's this person I've liked for a really long time……"

"Ooo Haley's got a crush." Haley all of a sudden became very serious and Brooke realized the day after her sister's death was not the time to be joking.

"Brooke…I think it's more than a crush."

"Like, you think you're in love?"

"No.. I know I'm in love."

"How?"

"Every time I'm around yo- I mean…this person…I get butterflies in my stomach. I want nothing more than to see them happy and be in their arms."

"Haley- who is it?" Brooke felt her heart starting to break.

" I can't."

"Yes you can."

"You'll kill me."

"Never…you'll always have me. Now just tell me who this mystery love of your life is."

"That's the problem."

"Huh?"

"Brooke…it's you."

Brooke just looked at Haley for what seemed like forever until Haley got up and began to speak.

"Brooke…I'm sorry. I understand if you never wanna see me again. I gotta go, bye." Brooke grabbed Haley's arms gently to tell her to stop.

"Haley!"

"What, Brooke? What could you possibly have to say?"

"Hales…I'm in love with you too."

"Then why were you so surprise.." Haley was cut off by Brooke's lips on her own. It was everything she had expected it to be…and more. She felt weak in the knees. Never before and never again would a kiss compare to this. Haley reluctantly began to pull away when air became an issue.

"Brooke..how are we gonna tell everyone."

"Hales?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." And once again, their lips met in a passionate kiss.


End file.
